Don't Be Naive
by Poisonous
Summary: Don't be naive.' He said as her paper smiled shattered. 'I don't give roses to every girl.'
1. Chapter 1

**Don't Be Naive**

// _'Even if it rains.' _//

* * *

"Welcome home, honey!" 

May smiled brightly as her mother pulled her through the door and into a hug. She barely had time to suffocate in her mother's embrace when her mother traded her in for her younger brother. May didn't mind as she was exhausted and the last thing she needed was a barrage of questions that her mother was so skilled in making. May made her way upstairs, her backpack suddenly seeming too heavy, and stopped a moment to admire her room.

It _had _been a while, she conceded.

In a moment of total and utter exhaustion, May collapsed on her bed, enjoying the feel of the sheets and the smell of detergent laundry. All those times she had to camp out in the wild, or endure a rainstorm because they couldn't find a Pokemon Center -- well, she appreciated the little things now. She let a smile touch her lips, excitement tingling in her spine. She still couldn't believe that she had traveled so far, and almost won best coordinator. _Her_, the girl that had grown up her entire life as 'Norman's Kid', or 'The Petalburg Gym Leader's Daughter.' She had gone through the most amazing experiences, and even getting stuck out in the rain seemed pleasant now. Not to mention all of the amazing people she had met. Gym leaders, trainers, coordinators, and even other pokemon specialist. Why there was that time when she--

"May! Come downstairs, honey. Your supper is ready!"

May sighed and slipped off her shoes. They were torn and battered, she thought ruefully. She finally abandoned them with a wistful sigh and skipped downstairs, trying to settle back into the flow of her old life. After all, it wasn't very likely that she was ever going to on an adventure like the one she had just come home from.

_Getting bored already?_

May shook her head to herself. She was glad to be home, she _really _was. It would just take some getting used to. Nothing major. Maybe her dad would let her battle some of the trainers at the gym! May felt excitement build up at the prospect and immediately thought about Ash. The guy who lived, breathed, and if he could, eaten pokemon battles. May wondered if he had made it to Pallet Town already.

She slipped smoothly into a chair, her brother Max seated across from her, and stared at the head place on the table.

"Isn't that coming?"

She asked automatically. Her mother gave her a sad smile.

"He said he'd be here honey, but sometimes he just gets held up in the gym, you know."

Of course she knew. It was the _one _thing she didn't miss. But she had thought, no, worse -- she had _hoped, _that her homecoming would be an exception. It wasn't her father's fault, May knew this, but it didn't make things any better.

Her mother served the food, Max wasted no time in digging in, but May just toyed with her food. It wasn't that she didn't like the food, it looked very appetizing after her diet of berries, but May missed watching Brock concoct.

_"One of these days you're going to poison us, Brock!"_

_May said, teasingly. Brock only smiled in return before beginning his montage of love._

_"Yes and my lovely nurse joy will be there to cure you. How beautiful she--"_

Come to think of it, May thought with a smile, she didn't quite miss that part of her day as much. But still--

"So May, tell me, how are your new friends?"

Her mother inquired. May took a sip of the soup before her, before replying.

"I guess Ash made it back to Pallet town by now, and Brock is probably off in a pokemon center torturing some poor nurse Joy or getting arrested by an unfortunate officer Jenny..."

May hadn't realized that she was laughing to herself until she caught her mother's stare.

"You wouldn't believe Brock. You'd have to travel with him to understand, sometimes he's just so--"

May began, but her mother interrupted her.

"Darling, whatever happened to that darling boy--?"

"Ash? I just told you he--"

The interruptions continued.

"No, that other boy, what was his name? Ah, now I remember! That lovely boy named Drew."

"Oh you mean May's boyfriend?"

Max answered, May glared at him.

"Oh I _knew _there was something going on with those roses, May. When will you see--"

May stood from the table, abandoning her meal.

"I have no idea about the roses, mom. Drew was just... Anyway, he isn't my boyfriend, and I don't think I'll ever see him again. We only met because he was entering the Pokemon Contest just like me, and I don't really know what hes going to do now."

May realized that she finished in a huff, and apologized to her mother.

"I'm sorry mom; I don't really think I'm hungry."

"But your father--"

Her mother tried to interrupt, but May beat her to it.

"He's not coming."

She said, sparing a sad smile, and headed upstairs.

"May--"

Max called out to her.

"Max, I'm kind of tired right now, okay?"

No one followed her, and May decided that she'd make up it up to her mother tomorrow. As she climbed the stairs May realized that she _was _tired. She went into her room for the second time in a long time, and eyed her bed with resentment. And for the first time, and not the last time, May wished she could camp out with Ash and Brock.

Even if it was raining.

* * *

Drew eyed his pokeballs with a blank stare, almost not really looking at them, but past them. He couldn't concentrate on training that afternoon, and now he was in a Pokemon Center, resting before he made his way to his next destination. He didn't really know where he was going, or _why, _but aimless wandering usually brought him to a town where he met interesting people. Now, that the contest was over, he really had nothing to do. It was too early to start training for the next year, besides his pokemon would need a good week to recover, and even _he_ was feeling a bit tired. 

Tomorrow morning, he decided, he would request a map of the region and see where he should go. There was bound to be a town somewhere near with some sights to see. And besides, Drew thought as he turned out the lights, if he was lucky he might just run into May again.

* * *

**Authors Note: **_Please_ review! 


	2. Chapter 2

don't be naive

Drew didn't mean to end up in Petalburg, really.

He could have sworn he set out for the very opposite direction -- not that he was running from Petalburg, either -- but somehow, wound up in front of a wooden sign that read in bright, cheery letters; WELCOME TO PETALBURG! Underneath, in smaller letters; GYM LEADER : NORMAN, POKEMON CENTER : NEXT TO GYM.

Drew ruminated. That meant that in order to get to the Pokemon Center he would have to pass by the gym. So, there really would be no avoiding May. Correction, there would be no avoiding the gym -- because he wasn't avoiding May.

Really.

Drew noticed, and not for the first time, that whenever his thoughts shifted to May something always went wrong. Either he started to talk to himself, or he went around in circles, or he ended up in towns he had been trying to purposely avoid.

Like now.

Well, Drew thought with a sigh, there's nothing I can do about it now. He followed the directions and started to make his way to the pokemon center.

--

May was getting bored. No, correction, May was already bored and dying a slow, painful death because of it. Earlier that day, she'd gone around town; said hello to Nurse Joy, waved at Officer Jenny as she passed by, looked around in the Pokemart, even toured her father's gym. When she was younger, the gym would have been the greatest adventure. Now, it was the most boring thing in the world.

Her father was advocating his subordinates, the ones in charge of challenging trainers before they battled him. All the techniques he was patiently teaching them she already knew and it killed her to think that she would stuck like this for the rest of her life.

I wonder what Ash is doing, May thought. He was probably challenging someone new or someone old, Ash really didn't care. As long as he battling someone, he was fine. And Misty?

Though she hardly had time to socialize with the girl, from what she got, Misty was the youngest of three sisters and her sisters were as vain and pretentious as cold be. Misty was probably screaming her lungs out, May thought with a smile.

And thinking about annoying siblings, where was Max?

He was still in bed by the time she'd left and she couldn't blame him. It'd been a while since they'd slept in a certified bed and it had been a fight to get out of bed.

He was settling back into their old life easier than she was.

What was Brock doing? Dealing with his brothers and sisters? Flirting with some poor girl? Getting arrested just to see Officer Jenny? It was hard to know now that she was home and away from him. The distance between her and her friends prickled in her chest.

It hurt, in a way.

May meant to call them, but she hadn't gotten a chance. When she got to the pokemon center, it was full, and May felt a bit weird having a personal conversation with a million people looking over her shoulder. In her house it was worse; her mother was still waiting for her to get a phone call from Drew so she could tease her about it.

Drew.

May sighed, he was the biggest mystery of all. It felt like she hadn't seen him in ages and she wanted to see him, badly, but tried not to think about it too much. It would worst if she thought about it.

May thought about challenging her dad. In the past, it would have been idyllic; she would have been afraid, even. But now, it was another battle. She knew her dad's pokemon and his tacts inside out. It would be a bit like cheating, actually.

Almost having given up on the world, May saw something that made her start.

A shock of green hair swam before her eyes, and May gaped at it, not quite believing.

She got up, snatched up her bag, and ran to the doors of the gym. Once safety outside, she called;

"HEY DREW!"

--

Drew turned around and his worst nightmare and best dream stared him in the face.


	3. Chapter 3

IS ANYONE THERE? EXPLANATIONS AT THE BOTTOM!

* * *

Drew raised a hand, all cool and smirked. "Funny running into you here, May."

Well it really _wasn't_ funny and he should have known better, but things never worked out the way he wanted them to. Or they did, but May always got mixed up in his affairs regardless. Maybe it was a sign, fate or something equally as ridiculous.

Her eyes were so bright as she walked towards him, hair colored fire underneath the sun. Her hair was free of that hat she habitually wore, and she wore a blue shirt with the petalburg gym logo on the sleeve. It was hard not to notice her affiliation with it, but that was unimportant. To be frank, Drew was hoping to run into May after winning a few more awards, catching a few more pokemon. He felt completely unimpressive as she reached him, her hands on her knees, breathing hard. This amused him considerably, because she didn't have to run - he wasn't going anywhere, anyway.

"What a surprise to see you here!" her smile was unrestrained and contagious. Drew smiled back.

"Yeah," he scratched the back of his head. "I just couldn't stay away."

May punched his shoulder without any real force and laughed. "Come inside, Max will be happy to see you again."

_What about you?_ Drew wanted to ask, but didn't. He didn't even have a proper rose to give her. Now he felt completely unprepared.

May took his hand and dragged him in.

* * *

"What are you intentions with my daughter?"

May buried her face in her hands for the fifth time that evening. Drew was seated next to Max, who shot his sister a cheeky grin. May's mother paused in mid bite, not even bothering to pretend that she wasn't intent on listening to his response.

Drew swallowed, his throat dry. "Ahem, in regards to what, sir?"

"In regards to everything!" Well, the leader of the Petalburg gym sure didn't waste any time.

"Dad!" May protested, deeply embarrassed.

"Honey, your father only means well..."

"Mom, you're supposed to be on my side!" May looked horribly disappointed. Her mother coughed into her napkin weakly.

"Yeah, do you like my sister or something?" Max chimed in.

Drew was beginning to plot his escape. He could handle the situation. He'd smoothly talked his way out of crowds of fangirls and stadiums, out of conference rooms full of sponsors - he could do this.

"Well, ah, I think this is a question that May should answer."

May looked at him with what could have been a look promising torture or death, or a combination of both and Drew wondered, for the tenth time, if he could fit through the window. He couldn't. May glared at him. Real smooth, Drew...

* * *

I apologize to everyone. Because of some freak accident, I couldn't log in until now and though I emailed support numerous times, I received no response. If anyone is still interested in this story, please tell me and the next chapter will be longer!


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